Waste containers or disposal devices are common in hospitals, doctors' offices, kitchens and other household locations and other locations where waste is generated and must be disposed of in a sanitary manner. Waste disposal devices are also often used to dispose of household waste, cat litter and other pet waste. If the waste emits odors, the waste disposal device should also contain odors emanating from the waste.
Numerous waste disposal devices exist including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,612,099, 6,804,930, 6,851,251, 7,114,314, 7,146,785, 7,316,100, 7,406,814, 7,434,377, 7,503,152, 7,503,159, 7,617,659, 7,617,660, 7,708,188, 7,712,285, 7,963,414, 8,127,519, 8,215,089, 8,235,237 and 8,266,871 all of which are incorporated by reference herein. Additionally, innovative waste disposal devices are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/172,715 filed Jul. 14, 2008, now abandoned, Ser. No. 13/172,976 filed Jun. 30, 2011, now abandoned, and Ser. No. 13/270,697 filed Oct. 11, 2011, now abandoned, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Some of these waste disposal devices include a lid which is coupled to a rotation mechanism whereby upon forced manual closure of the lid, the rotation mechanism converts the manually-initiated closing movement of the lid into rotation of a twisting mechanism which engages with a length of tubing or a plastic bag in the waste disposal device to thereby cause formation of a twist in the tubing or bag. The twist is situated above the waste products in the tubing or bag so that emanation of odors from the waste products in the container is reduced.
Further, some of these waste disposal devices include a step or foot pedal assembly to complement or replace the manual opening and closing of the lid. The foot pedal assembly includes a depressible foot pedal and a spring, and is arranged to cause both opening of the lid when the foot pedal is depressed and closure of the lid when the pressing force is removed. The spring is moved against its bias upon depression of the foot pedal and returns to its original state when the pressing force is removed to thereby cause closure of the lid and rotation of the twisting mechanism.